TOL Model 1 takes its modular guitar design to Kickstarter
TOL says its modular Model 1 is live on Kickstarter. A closer look at the maker’s confirmed specifications and the questions prospective backers still need to ask.
TOL Guitars says its Model 1 is live on Kickstarter, putting a modular electric guitar built from thermoplastic and steel in front of prospective backers. It is an unusual proposition: the manufacturer specifies no wood and no truss rod, rather than dressing a familiar construction in a futuristic outline.
What TOL has confirmed
The UK-designed and built Model 1 has a manufacturer-listed weight of 1.6kg/3.5lb, a 24.65-inch scale and a 16-inch fingerboard radius. TOL identifies the pickup as its own FluxCore design.
The company also describes a Fusion module with rechargeable power, a headphone output, pedalboard connectivity and an expression interface. Those features describe the module; they should not be read as confirmation that every campaign package includes it.
An announcement, not a hands-on verdict
The question for players is whether a modular instrument can make changing a guitar as appealing as playing it. That is an interesting design challenge, but the published specifications cannot establish how comfortable the instrument feels or how its pickup responds under your hands. We have not played it.
For now, the important distinction is between a live crowdfunding campaign and a guitar confirmed as shipping from retail stock. Current pledge options, delivery estimates and terms should be checked on the campaign itself before backing. TOL says that the campaign is live; it does not settle those purchasing details.
Would a modular guitar earn a place beside your traditional instruments, or would you want to try one first?
Source: The manufacturer’s official announcement and specifications.
Illustration: GuitarGangsters. Reference-guided editorial artwork, not a product photograph or hands-on test.
